


Nightmare Continued

by MercyBought



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Constipation, F/M, he's new at this kind of thing, obsessive - Freeform, possessive, sleepy reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24070249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercyBought/pseuds/MercyBought
Summary: Nightmare never expected to come across someone like you.He never expected to feel these feelings you've stirred in his SOUL either.He's determined to make you pay dearly for it.
Relationships: Nightmare sans/reader, Nightmare/Reader, Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Comments: 35
Kudos: 291





	Nightmare Continued

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AKA_Indulgence](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKA_Indulgence/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Your Nightmare](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23983570) by [AKA_Indulgence](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKA_Indulgence/pseuds/AKA_Indulgence). 



> Gift fic for AKA_Indulgence! Inspired by some tags werelywrites made on a tumblr post for a commission of a Nightmare/Reader fic AKA_Indulgence had made for me ;)

"That's it, _scream for me,"_ he whispers out loud to the cold room, watching as you toss and turn pathetically under your sheets. His grin has widened considerably, bordering almost on manic as he feels your fear reach its apex. He's closing in on you in that dream of yours, watching you trying to put some distance between the two of you, but it may as well be as if you're running through mud.

And he's catching up, oh _yes_ , he's taking his sweet time calmly walking after you, practically _tasting_ the fear coming off you in waves, both in and out of this special little nightmare.

You let out a small whine as your fingers clench around whatever sheets they can grasp, and his gaze drops from your face to your hands, watching the knuckles pale slightly. You had let out such a beautiful _shriek_ when he finally captured you, one of his thick tentacles lashing out to wrap around your waist, jerking you to a stop. You immediately tried to pry it off, letting out a tearful, frustrated cry when your fingers just sunk into it, slime thick as tar sticking to your hands and fingers, cold as the grave. He briefly considered trapping them there, cementing your hands and watching your panic climb even higher (and what a _delicious_ nightmare that had been, the first time he had done it), but...

No, it would not take much more to sate him tonight. He would grant her this small 'Mercy', he thought to himself with a twisted smile. Instead he let you pull them free, thick black strands still connecting you to his tentacle. You had just barely enough time for your disgust and horror to settle in before he lashed out with two more, coiling around your elbows and upper arms tightly as you let out another harsh scream, your voice raw with its intensity. Oh how you struggled, throwing your weight forward and straining as hard as you could against your cold, slimy bindings. You dug your feet in, you dropped your weight low, you cried, begged, _screamed_ for someone to save you. You were almost on your knees when an idea struck him.

It would be _far_ too easy for him to just lift you off the ground and bring you back to him, though he couldn't deny how nice the view was when he did. The beautiful way you squirmed, almost hyperventilating as the realization of what was about to happen struck you. Sometimes he'd pull back the covers when it reached this part of the dream, to really let that _chill_ settle through your body, watching the way your delicate skin broke out in goosebumps and how you would shiver in the depths of your nightmare. How desperately you would try to lean away, jerking your head off to the side as he closed that distance, the beautiful, defeated cry you would let out when he finally embraced you, _squeezing_ you against him as he promised to _never_ let you go.

He grinned, laxing his grip on you just enough to let you go down on one knee, still pulling at his tentacles with all of your might. The setup couldn't be more perfect.

_Why drag you to him when he can have you run to him yourself?_

Have you run into his arms, where you _belonged._

With that thought he vanished from behind you, the tight, unyielding hold on your waist and arms suddenly gone. You lurched forward, stopping yourself just before you went careening into the ground, and then you were back on your feet in an instant in a headlong sprint, your balance awry as you almost stumbled with the sudden momentum.

It was only a second later when he reappeared before you, tentacles extended and arms outstretched, as if welcoming you for a hug. That infernal blue eyelight was almost _aflame_ with anticipation, that sadistic grin practically splitting his face.

It was as if everything happened in slow motion. You only had time to open your mouth before you were sent careening into him, squeezing your eyes and drawing your arms inward to brace for the impact.

When you collided with him he didn't budge an inch, his arms wrapping around your body and squeezing you _tightly_ against him in some sick perversion of a lover's embrace. Your face was pressed into his chest, and despite your struggling, to your horror you could not pull away from him in the slightest, your arms absorbed up to your elbows in him. His tentacles automatically sought out your body, wrapping around your legs and waist, further cementing you against him. When you tried to scream again in protest, you found your mouth was sealed shut by the thick, tarry slime seeping from all over his body.

A hand cradled the back of your head, and you felt teeth gently press against your ear, feel the gentlest puff of air as he whispered to you.

_"You can't run from me forever, [y/n]. I will always catch you, and one day you will **finally** be mine!" _

His laughter follows you as your mind bursts into static, your thoughts scattered as, impossibly, you black out in his hold, darkness swallowing you.

* * *

Outside of your nightmare, he withdrew his tentacle from your head, gently brushing you with the tip before he pulls away. His eyesocket is lidded, his whole body feeling relaxed with the r _ush_ of energy he felt after delivering you a particularly _nasty_ nightmare. He had come to crave that particular brand of fear and despair he would give you, trapped and helpless in your mind. It felt far more satisfying than anything he had tasted in quite some time.

While he himself was relaxed, his tentacles continuously twisted and writhed, practically _itching_ for something.

He knew exactly what it was. His grin widened as his eye narrowed slightly.

After following you for this long, that energy of yours wasn't the only thing he had found himself craving.

Certain that you were still asleep, he allowed his tentacles to slither around you, coiling themselves around your body with practiced ease, sliding under your neck, back, waist, and knees and lifting you into the air effortlessly. He crawled into your bed, propping himself up against the headboard as he held his arms out expectantly. Only a moment later and you were delivered into his arms, your body slowly lowered and settled between his legs, your own almost tucked under you as he held you to his chest, feeling your head loll limply into his shoulder. One of his arms encircled your waist, the other cradling your cheek as he nuzzled you.

_"Good girl,"_ he purred, murmuring into your hair, _"you did so well tonight."_ Now that you were seated, his tentacles found their way around you once more, winding around your legs and arms, helping to keep you clutched close against him.

His thumb rubbed your cheek as he pressed his teeth against your forehead, his eye closing for a moment as he did so before gazing down at your relaxed, sleeping face. _"You were wonderful, my pet,"_ he says dreamily. _"How you squirmed and struggled, screaming so prettily for me...."_ A warm thrill tingled through him at his soft praise. His tentacles carefully wound tighter, possessively around you. He lowered his head to bump his forehead into yours, nasal ridge almost brushing against the tip of your nose.

_"You're so beautiful like this,"_ he whispers, his voice soft in the uneasy quiet of the room. _"So peaceful and calm."_ His eye almost droops shut, a soft sigh escaping him.

 _"I've missed holding you like this so much..."_ He squeezes you to him just a little closer, just a little tighter, ever mindful not to squeeze you too tight. He constantly had to remind himself how delicate humans could be, how easily he could break you if he wasn't careful. If he let himself get too lost in you. Too lost in his thoughts about you.

He moves the arm wrapped around your waist up to your shoulders, his free hand dropping to your chest. _"Let's look at that pretty little SOUL of yours, hmm?"_ he purred, pressing his hand gently against your sternum. He keeps it there for a moment, feeling the thrum of your SOUL and the steady beating of your heart, before finally drawing it back, his fingers bent and curled as if to coax it out. It appeared not a moment later, your normally vibrant SOUL so faint and weak it almost appeared translucent. He only smiled, cupping his hand as it floated above his palm. _"Come on, my love, let me see that shine..."_

Nothing happened for a moment or two. It remained dim for quite some time. But he didn't move, watching it patiently. It always took a little bit after one of his nightmares, as if your SOUL was shy to show him its soft little glow. But it was always worth the wait.

Finally, very dimly it began to show, like the light of a match right before it burns out. His smile widens by a fraction, growing slightly when he sees it getting stronger. Little by little the light and warmth of your SOUL began to return, and he gave a soft hum of approval. _"See? I knew you could do it,"_ he murmured, watching it get fractionally brighter and brighter until he could see those golden swirls coiling in and around it again, the glow as powerful and crisp as a firefly's on a warm summer night.

He stared almost as if in a trance, his hand coming closer until it rested so very gently against your SOUL. He felt that familiar flutter, like a moth's wings when you capture one in your hands, fast and light, the light dimming just slightly before pushing back. He let out a small scoff through his nose with a smile, admiring how it almost seemed like it was trying to fight back the incessant darkness that seeped from his whole being. Like if it glowed and radiated light hard enough, it could fight back against him.

It was _truly adorable_ to witness, no matter how many times he saw it. That instinct to snuff out that pretty little light of yours had long since faded by now, replaced with a longing, yearning appreciation of it. _"That's my girl, keep beating nice and strong for me,"_ he said softly, his voice soft and husky. The one little thing he could indulge in without being repulsed or turned away, and oh how he adored it.

He basked in that light for a little while, cradling your SOUL in the palm of his hands, watching how the light trickled between his fingers and how it pulsed with a gentle warmth. When that light grew steady, he slowly guided it back into your chest. His hand lingered there after he did so.

His eye roams your body, and he can see the goosebumps on your skin. Faintly he remembers how sensitive humans could be to changes in temperature. All those little telltale signs your body would display for him that he learned from watching you all this time. He won't deny that it had annoyed him at first, at how confusing it was to register such minimal changes in the air, but after a while it became second nature to him. He didn't want you to get sick from exposure after all (the first time _that_ happened he realized the importance of all those blankets you have piled on your bed, and the hesitant realization that he was not the warmest monster for cuddling. Not that it stopped him).

One of his tentacles hesitantly pulled away from you, leaving sticky strands of black ooze on your skin, his very own way of marking you as _his,_ before it snaked out, looping under your covers and pulling them closer. The other tentacles around you shifted, keeping you curled up against his chest as he grabbed the blankets and pulled them up and around the two of you, letting it drape over his shoulders as the two of you were wrapped in a little makeshift cocoon. Confident that this would be enough to warm you back up, he carefully worked his jacket off of him, sliding his arms free as his tentacles began to worm their way under your nightwear, carefully working themselves under whatever you had been wearing to fully press themselves against your soft, warm skin. Once they were fully settled, he took you into his arms again, holding you so that your cheek was pressed against his chest, his bones and SOUL warming at the contact.

_"I love you,"_ he whispered into your hair with a sigh, his eye closing as he relished this tender moment with you. _"My beautiful little spark. The light of my soul. My darling [y/n]."_

He didn't move from that spot for a long time, just holding you in his arms. His tentacles occasionally weaved in and around your limbs, loosely coiling around your arms, worming between your folded legs, mindlessly seeking out your soft body heat. Occasionally during this time, he would bring your hand to his, rubbing the pad of his thumb across the back of yours, tracing the creases in your palm, experimenting with the feeling of lacing his fingers between yours. Or he would run his phalanges through your hair, watching as each strand slowly fell away between them each time he passed them through. Your hand always fit so nicely in his, your body fitting against him so perfectly.

How fortunate it was for him, he thought. How absolutely _astronomical_ this chance was. That out of all the multiverses he had ever traversed, out of the endless ones that existed, he had found you. He had found you, and he had become interested in you. Become so irrevocably attached to you now, attracted to you and that beautiful, gleaming little SOUL of yours humming softly in your chest.

Without thinking his hand sought out that spot against your chest again, where he could feel it most acutely. Thinking about what it would be like to _bond_ with you properly, to tether your SOUL to his, to steal you away to be with him for _all eternity-_

His eye narrowed, resisting the urge to let out an aggravated sigh. That wasn't possible, not yet anyway. Too much turmoil back in his own dimension. Too big a chance that you could be stolen away from him. Too big a risk to expose such a glaring _flaw_ in his defenses.

_But soon,_ he silently promised, squeezing you just a little tighter against his chest. _Soon he would be able to take you away with him, make it so he would never need to be apart from you ever again._

_But for now...he had to be patient. He could wait._

_Savor these moments while he could, yearning for the fateful day to finally come._

He leaned his head back against the headboard, shifting slightly to get more comfortable as he looked out the window. Still pitch black outside. Only the distant lights of the city glittered in the distance, the street lamps on this street having burnt out long ago.

You were so warm and soft. If he needed to sleep he could drift off just holding you like this, but not needing to just meant he could stay awake, staring at you. Sometimes he would lie awake in bed next to you, one of your hands captured in his, legs entangled with yours as he watched you sleep, feeling those slow, deep breaths puff against his mouth. He'd stare into those closed eyes, watching your eyes occasionally dart under those lashes. Reveling in how simple it would be for him to tap into that unseen dream of yours, to twist it and give you visions of whatever tickled his fancy that night.

It had taken a while for those nightmares he gave you to turn into ones of him at first, but he had not regretted it in the slightest. It was only because of that, that things had become the way they were now.

Idly he thought back to that first time he had stumbled upon you, recalling the memories fondly.

He had fled to this universe after fighting and evading his annoying brother, turning the tide of battle against him with an unforeseen traitor of an ally. While it had been looking to be in his favor, he knew that he would have to withdraw for now. He would have plenty of time to plan his revenge later, and there were plenty of universes that he could hide away in where his brother could never hope to find him. This one had seemed safe and out of the way enough that he could wreak havoc and glean some entertainment while he recovered.

It was a big, wide world for him to explore, full of humans and monsters to torment and feed off of, and plenty of terrible things happening to keep himself amused. He would take his time with his victims, usually spending several days terrorizing multiple victims at once, those who lived in close proximity to each other to minimize need to travel or expenditure of magic.

An unforeseen, but pleasant side effect to these recurring, induced nightmares was that you remembered him. Normally any memories of his victim's encounter with him would fade immediately upon waking up, if they remembered anything beyond a deeply disturbing, vague _something_ that would make their head ache and their heart pound just trying to remember it. Remember _him._ It worked out more efficiently for him this way - erasing the memory of the encounter meant the victim's terror could be kept fresh if he returned for another feeding. The effect could stack, amplifying itself if he allowed it, creating such vast unease and torment that his unfortunate target would quail at the mere thought of sleeping, though completely unaware for the reason why. This allowed him the cover of anonymity as well; if his victim could not explain what gave them such terrible night terrors, how could they possibly stop them, or _him?_ It also helped keep his foolish brother from intervening too quickly, already a bothersome thorn in his side as it was.

That had changed when he had found _you._ When he had encountered you, it had been by complete and utter chance. He had fully expected you to just be another target he would never bother to remember the name or face of, merely relishing in the terror he would bring inflicting those tasty little nightmares upon you. After he had gotten a taste of your fear however, enjoying the ease in which he could pull you into these lucid nightmares, feeling how your SOUL quivered and cried out the longer he kept you trapped under his spell. It was what enticed him to come back, time and again. He loved how that light of yours grew dimmer and weaker the more often he came to you, as his nightmares eventually became part of your daily life.

It had happened so gradually (or so suddenly?) that he hadn't noticed it initially. At first he hadn't bothered justifying it to himself, you were just another victim among _millions_ that he'd touched and left his blackened stain upon. You lived alone, not that it would have changed anything; sometimes it was better when more people were around to hear his victim's waking screams, to feed on that initial panic and worried concern. You didn't live an especially exciting life, by his standards. At best, he thought he would think back to your screams with a sadistic fondness those nights he spent alone and plotting in his domain. Something to warm the SOUL he wasn't even sure he still had.

It wasn't until that third night he had come to you, after siphoning every drop of terror he could pull from your faded SOUL, he found himself lingering, watching that glow slowly creep back in strength. It wasn't until he felt that glow gently, ever so dimly lighting his features and alighting on his tentacles that he realized he was still there, just...staring at you. Seeing how your face had relaxed considerably now that the nightmare was over, that same calm and weariness after a bad nightmare reflected upon the gentle light coming from your SOUL.

He had teleported away immediately after, scoffing at himself for what he had been doing. How utterly foolish, he thought to himself, deigning not to look too closely for a reason as to why. He had planned on dismissing it, and you, without a second thought, itching to return to his dimension. But it was still not safe to return, and he was not yet powerful enough to exterminate the pests that roamed and surveilled it. So he stayed, and he contemplated what else he could do in his spare time besides to feed.

And it was during those moments that, almost completely unawares, his thoughts had drifted back to you. Not just savoring all of the negative emotions he evoked while tormenting you, like one would after having an especially delicious, filling meal, but also that...dare he say _peaceful_ moment after he had finished, watching how you eventually relaxed again as your SOUL slowly recovered.

His eyelight flashed for a moment when he realized where his thoughts had trailed back to, jerking to attention. Anger and irritation swept him up to stand, at _himself_ for letting his thoughts drift again and at _you_ for _whatever you had done_ to implant yourself so _firmly_ in his mind. Who were you to affect him like this?!

The very thought was enough to give him pause, stopping him in his tracks before he could act on some irritated, irrational impulse.

_What an interesting question._

Who _were_ you?

He simmered down slightly, pondering this. He knew your SOUL already, from the times before when he made those colors run and watching that light wilt under his power, at how fragile it was and how easily manipulated it could be just from his touch. There had to be more to it than that though, he knew. If he could find out _what,_ then maybe he could address it himself, so he wouldn't have to resort to killing you over the annoyance you caused him.

So he took to following you.

And as he followed you, he began to learn more about you.

He found out where you worked, who your friends were, and where your family lived. What you did for a living, how you got along with your coworkers, how much effort and pride you put into your work. The things you liked to do on your days off, the way you'd occasionally hum or sing when cooking or cleaning, even how you'd sometimes bring food for the ducks whenever you took a walk through the park (and how quickly you abandoned the food one time, when a gaggle of geese had approached and took avid interest. Your walk had been cut short that day, but he still remembers how you had grabbed one of them by the neck and flung them away from you when it tried charging after you. Miraculously, you managed to avoid getting hurt, which was disappointing).

It was _disgusting_ how you could touch the people around you with such positivity, how the light of your SOUL could make theirs glow a little brighter just from being near you. You were practically the epitome of everything he despised, everything that made him _weak._ All he could think about was how _easily_ he could snuff that light out for good, and how many kindred SOULs would darken with your passing.

He very nearly did it one night.

Having grown tired of stalking you, and even more angry to find that someone like you had drawn his attention so insistently, he had come to you one night, watching as you prepared for bed. You had bought something to help you sleep after so many restless nights of his doing, and he waited until you popped the pill, downing a glass of water and curled up in bed. You were unconscious only 30 minutes later, and he made his move, giving you the worst nightmare he could conjure, pulling from the horrors he had witnessed across the multiverse to plunge your lucid dreaming into.

He made you bear witness to the slaughter of everyone you held dear, human and monster alike. Forcing you to see the terror on their faces as _you_ brought the knife down upon them, making you hear their screams ring in your ears as their blood and dust clung to you.

He forced you to watch as the humans in your life took up weapons to smite down monsters that you knew and loved, how they killed friends, children, and lovers without hesitation or remorse, their eyes alight with the thrill of death.

But he was still not finished, making you watch as the tables turned as this time the monsters took their revenge, using their magic to slay the humans and feast upon their flesh, consuming their SOULs before they could flicker out and die a permanent death.

And then they turned their attention to you, and you could see that same wild thrill in their eyes as you saw in the humans, and you could only scream when they set themselves upon you.

All the while, he kept you trapped in that neverending nightmare, imprisoning you within your very own mind as their teeth and claws sank into you, rending your skin asunder as their magic tore through your very SOUL. He watched as your own, pulled from your chest as you writhed in phantom agony upon the bed, quivered and flickered, the once bright color curdling as he poured his dark essence into you.

Only when he was finally satisfied did he grant you mercy, letting your consciousness fade into nothingness as you went still on your bed. Then he reached out, crooking a finger and beckoning your SOUL closer, coming to rest cupped between his hands. The color had all but faded now, drained so utterly by his relentless nightmare. He could feel it pulse so, _so_ weakly against his fingers.

Human and Monster SOULS really weren't all that different from each other, he thought to himself, his eye(socket) narrowing slightly. Once you pull it out of them, all it takes is one nice, firm squeeze, and it's all over. Your SOUL would be snuffed out and added to that endless list of victims that sustained him.

A shame, really.

He stood there, holding your SOUL, staring at it for a long, long time. Not making a move to squeeze, or letting his tentacles grab hold to crush it, but not allowing it to return to you either. It should have been so easy, it wasn't like it would have taken any effort at all. But...

It was the strangest thing, to be so entranced by such a fragile little thing. It wasn't like he hadn't seen millions of other SOULs before, but...yours was like no SOUL he had ever come across.

He remained unmoving, even as, very slowly, your SOUL began to heal and rejuvenate itself. It began to feel warm in his hand, the light returning almost tentatively, like a rabbit peeking from its burrow to see if the hawk circling overhead had left. All the while completely unaware that a wolf was lying in wait above, waiting for it to take those few tentative hops out into the open.

He blinked slowly, never taking his eyelight off of it. He ran the pad of his thumb gently across its surface, feeling its tickling warmth. Your SOUL fluttered in his grasp, and he paused at the sensation against his fingertips. His eyelight glowed just a little brighter at the feeling.

It felt so soft...so timid.

He rubbed it again, using both of his thumbs and making a small, circular motion in opposite directions. Your SOUL fluttered again ( _stars_ it felt so delicate), his touch drawing a soft, unbidden moan from your lips. A hot surge ripped through him at the sound, his eye glowing much more sharply as he let out a sharp, strained breath in surprise.

Heat bloomed in his chest, a strange _yearning_ starting to consume him. There was so much he could do to you, more he could inflict on you than mere _pain,_ holding your SOUL like this. But he could only find himself staring, drinking in the sight for a long time.

The morning rays of sun filtering through the curtains of your room caught his attention, pulling him from those thoughts that were beginning to stir something deep and carnal within him with a start. His eyelight darted to the window, his thoughts coming back into focus.

What...what in the _hell_ just happened?

His gaze fell upon your alarm clock. _6:58 AM_ glowed angrily at him, red lights against a black background.

_How long had he been standing here for?_

Your alarm was going to go off in a minute or two. He needed to leave, now.

He looked to the SOUL in his hands, and then back at you, lying still on the bed. The sheets were in disarray, having been kicked and shoved in the throes of your nightmare. You were wearing a gown with shorts, both of them hiked up and twisted around you. He couldn't stop the way his eyelight dragged down the exposed expanse of skin, your thighs almost totally bared all the way up to the hip, your gown bunched up around your stomach so he could see just a peek of skin...

He wanted to reach out to touch you, run his phalanges against your skin, _see if it felt as soft and warm as your SOUL-_

_6:59 AM._

Jolting himself from that train of thought, he released your SOUL, letting it recede back into your chest with little reaction from you. He retreated to the shadows, but hesitated to leave just yet. He told himself that it was just so he could see your reaction when you woke up from the nightmare he gave you.

You did not disappoint, jolting awake with a cry when your alarm went off, playing some human song he was unfamiliar with. Your chest heaved as your sobs caught in your throat, fumbling to turn off the alarm as your whole body trembled. When the music finally cut, you took several deep, shaky breaths, your face twisting into a grimace as you pulled your knees up and cried into them, hands clutching your head and digging into your scalp as visions of your nightmare came back piecemeal, flashing through your mind. You had gone so pale as you tried to shove it all down, your breaths slowly evening out as you eventually calmed yourself. You sat unmoving for a little while, huddled on your bed, breathing shakily and whimpering and sniffling quietly. No doubt you were trying to remind yourself that you were awake, that everything you had seen and felt was only a dream. You were safe now.

_Heh. If only you knew._

Wiping your eyes and nose, you sucked in a breath through your teeth and let it out in a huff, before forcing yourself out of bed and into the bathroom to wash your face. You had to take another breather, gripping the sink as you leaned over it, head down, and he could see that your SOUL still hadn't fully recovered, not quite as dim as before but much less vibrant than it usually was when you were awake.

For a while, with how sluggishly you moved and how sickly you looked (and he couldn't help a swell of pride in his chest and a sadistic smirk that the nightmare he fed you had impacted you so intensely) he thought that you were going to call in sick. But that little vein of Perseverance of yours won through, and you forced yourself into your work clothes, grabbing a breakfast bar and a glass of water as your breakfast before leaving.

Before you did, you threw the sleeping pills in the trash with a little more force than necessary.

He followed you to your work, telling himself it was to see how you'd unconsciously flinch when someone walked too close or bumped into you, and the way your gaze cast about nervously until you made it into the building. He fed off the unease and worry that aroused from your coworkers when they saw the dark rings under your eyes, at how utterly haggard you looked from a night with obviously no sleep.

Your SOUL did heal and brighten over the course of the day, but the color was hesitant to come back into it. Perhaps he had taken it just a little too far, he thought with clear amusement, his socket lidded as his lazy grin widened. He felt energized, moreso than he had been, and, strangely, in a good mood, despite this morning's happenings. He would have to look into what happened with that...weird feeling he had felt earlier.

And so it had continued for some time.

A month turned into two.

Then three.

Then five.

When he found himself losing interest in seeking out other victims besides you, it surprisingly didn't bother him in the slightest. Before he would have been enraged, that you had taken up not only his wandering thoughts but now making it difficult for him to stay away from you. But after that night, and the events that transpired following the morning, it just felt...natural, to him.

There was no reason for him to leave you now. The situation with his dimension still hadn't changed, things were peaceful here, he had plenty of victims he could torment and feast upon if he needed to.

And...you were here.

He would be _loathe_ to call this an attachment, but...words failed him for what else he could call this feeling.

The final nail in his coffin came not too long after that fateful night. The night when he decided to finally appear in your dreams for the first time.

He had had it all planned out - start with you getting chased by some abominable creature(s) of his choosing. Ride that tide of fear until you were nearly frightened enough to wake up, and then...

He would call out to you.

Promising you _safety_ if you came to him.

He would _protect you._

And then when he got his hands on you...

_Ohh, just the thought of all the terrible things he wanted to do to you almost made him want to forego the buildup entirely and just jump straight into your torment._

_But if he was anything, it was patient._

So he waited for you to fall asleep that night, content in watching you from the shadows of your apartment.

You had taken longer than usual tonight, he noticed with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. Your nights of restful sleep had been few and far between these past few months, coming to a head in the last two weeks. Most nights he had been content on leaving you alone, but it seemed the only way to really get the edge off of his irritation was to give you the occasional nightmare. To _punish_ you for these strange, conflicting feelings you had given him. Most of the time you tried to suffer in silence, taking tea or doing something relaxing to try to help you sleep at night. You had learned quickly that trying to take sleep meds to knock you out at night only made the nightmares _worse_ for you, all his doing of course.

So it was with a heavy sigh that you put away your reading tablet for the night, set your alarm for the morning, and tried to settle in for a long night of trying to fall asleep. Meanwhile, he lay in waiting, his softly glowing eye narrowed slightly as he waited for you to drift off. It only took a little bit of his magic to assist with the "ambiance" needed to make you fall asleep. A little more dimming of the lights coming from your window, dampening the glow coming from your alarm clock, and he watched your breaths start to deepen and slow as you finally slipped into a peaceful slumber.

Only a few minutes later and he was at your bedside, gazing upon your relaxed face and body with a lidded socket. He sat upon the edge of your bed, lifting a leg to rest atop it. His eye didn't stray from your face, staring for a moment longer before he slowly reached up to brush away some stray hairs out of your face. He let himself relax, his eyesocket lidding as a tentacle creeped up past your cheek to sweep against your forehead, pressing itself insistently against your skin.

_"See you soon, [y/n],"_ he whispered aloud, that grin widening.

* * *

The human imagination was absolutely _fascinating_ at times. If he hadn't been so exposed to the horrors of the multiverse, hell even to the horrors of the main universe that spawned and inspired most of these dimensional offshoots, he might say that humans had a much more twisted imagination than monsters.

_Almost._

When you were away from your apartment, either at work or meeting with friends, he had decided to browse your Netflix subscriptions, ignoring the fantastical animated and live action movies he initially saw. The romantic comedies he didn't spare even a passing glance, and the crime and war documentaries only received a momentary, curious once-over before they were also ignored.

No, he was much more interested in the horror movie section, wanting to see the worst of what humanity could come up with. Wanting to see what made humans afraid the most.

There were some recurring themes he saw, and to his surprise, despite monsterkind having not emerged until several decades after the development and release of these films, humanity had already come up with several movies surrounding something similar to the amalgamates. He took great amusement in watching these films, watching the screaming and admiring (or sometimes laughing at) the terrible CGI effects, idly wondering what it would be like to force some of the more sheltered duplicates (like the Horror brothers) some of these films. He didn't allow himself to become too distracted, taking his notes and flipping through whatever else was interesting that was currently popular, and enjoying your annoyed confusion at your altered Netflix history.

He used this "research" to his advantage, even taking down notes for future nightmare material for you and whatever other unfortunate victim he would torment later, all in preparation for the night that he would appear to you. He planned on making it your worst, most memorable nightmare _yet._

It had gone off without a hitch at first. Stalking you for all this time gave him ample material for faces you would recognize in your dreams, as they were tortured and assimilated into a frightful monstrosity before your very eyes. Their screams begging for you to help or run away echoed in your ears when you had turned to run, sprinting down an endless labyrinth of his own making as it felt like the creature was always two steps from you, ready to bring you down and make you join your loved ones.

You could not feel exhaustion or pain in your dreams, which was a shame, but he had other ways of amplifying your terror. Your heart could still pound, you could feel when it would reach out to try to grab you, the swipes it would make as its claws would catch against your legs and back, the whisper of fangs through your hair. The way your limbs would grow slow and heavy, your wild sprint growing more unsteady and shaken as you desperately tried to wake up.

Wake up, _wake up_ before the creature could catch you-

And then you had heard it. Beyond the roars of the beast and your imaginary breaths, you had heard him.

_This way._

Without thinking you immediately turned to run toward that voice, almost clipping yourself against a corner. You could hear the creature bash against it, stumbling as it let loose a shriek of frustration.

_This way._

Another turn.

You were starting to gain some distance.

_Over here._

You ran blindly through the maze, ignorant of how it darkened and began to lose its substance.

_Come._

You didn't recognize the voice, but you could hear its intent.

_Come to me._

_I will keep you safe._

_I will protect you._

When you finally saw the figure, you let out a sob of relief, not stopping or slowing your frantic sprint. It was dark, too dark to see any fine details, but whoever this was they were here, they were going to help you-!

He opened his arms, tentacles spread wide in welcoming. You paid no mind to your savior's strange appearance, didn't stop until you collided with him, wrapping your arms around him, your face hidden against his chest. Relief poured off you in waves, that the nightmare was finally over, that you were finally _safe._

And Nightmare?

He could only stand there, arms wrapped firm around your body, around your shoulders and lower back to keep you from trying to escape. His tentacles were poised to either side of you, ready to snake around your body and reveal what your "savior" _truly was._

He would have taken such incredible delight in feeling that relief disappearing, your face twisting into abject horror as you pulled away to look up at him, felt his tentacles grabbing you as he revealed his _far from kind_ intentions for you-!

It should have repulsed him. You should have repulsed him, the way your SOUL was radiating relief and comfort and such _happiness_ at being held, being rescued by him.

But he could not deny the way his own SOUL sang in response.

You nuzzled into his chest.

His hold around you tightened at the feeling, squeezing you to him.

_He didn't want to let you go._

The hand that gripped around your shoulders reached up to cup the back of your head. He felt your arms unwrap from around his waist to holding his back as you turned your head slightly, and he felt your cheek press against his chest. He reveled in your gentle warmth, the slight give of your flesh and the firmness of muscle and bone he could feel beneath your skin.

His tentacles finally moved then, curling around your back and legs, pulling your whole body more firmly against his. You made no move to try to pull away, and he swore he could feel the soft breath of your sigh. He couldn't believe how you fit so _perfectly_ against him like this.

He wasn't sure for how long he just stood there, holding you. But now that he knew you couldn't pull away, he removed his hands from you, almost startled by how empty they felt when he did so, and moved them to cup your face between them. He felt your soft, warm skin in his hands, his palms gently pressed against your cheeks as his fingers curled around your jaw and head, his thumbs resting under your eyes, near your nose, framing your face in his hands as he tilted your head to look up at him.

You looked up at him, eyes shining with joy and wonder, your mouth open slightly as your lips pulled into a sweet smile. Even without pulling out your SOUL he could feel the warmth and tenderness softly radiating from it. He found himself wanting to reach out with his own, to entwine his in yours, absorb every wave and pulse and just envelop it completely within his own.

He found himself wanting you so badly it _hurt._

When his teeth crashed against yours, you gave no resistance, your SOUL flaring momentarily in surprise before you melted into the passionate kiss. His tongue manifested almost of its own accord, parting your lips and seeking out your own, curling around it as he squeezed you tighter, wanting nothing more than to make you melt inside him, join your bodies into one,

make you a part of him forever,

so this moment could never end,

so what he was feeling right now, like a piece of him that he had never known was missing had finally come and he was now complete, would _never_ go away-!!

You let out a soft moan, both in and out of your dream.

When he heard you and snapped out of his trance, he found himself holding you mere inches from his face. He had somehow moved without his knowledge, holding you in his arms like some prince out of a ridiculous fairytale, about to bestow a kiss to the sleeping princess. At the same time he had pulled your SOUL out of your chest, almost squeezed between your body and his. He could still feel the way it hummed and vibrated, making the air around the two of you feel warm and soft. His tentacles were coiled around you, winding around wherever they could touch exposed skin.

His vision came into razor sharp focus, eyelight blazing as the hypnotic spell he had found himself under was lifted.

His plan to scare you, make you awaken screaming from his invasion into your dream, had gone completely awry.

But he did not pull away, your warmth seeping into his very bones and tentacles and awakening something _hot_ that washed over him, from his chest down to the tips of his phalanges, clouding his mind in a warm haze as his tentacles became more possessive in their grip.

Temptation reared its ugly head in the wake of that wave of heat, irrational thoughts and unfounded _desire_ coursing through him. He found himself wanting to take your SOUL into his hands, to massage it between his fingers and coax more of those sounds from you, to lean in and drag his tongue across it, the culmination of your very being, _dip his phalanges into it to touch and caress it until you're writhing on the bed for an entirely different reason, to watch your eyes flutter open with a moan hot on your lips-_

The tips of his phalanges dug in slightly. He forced a slow, steady exhale, still not pulling away from you or moving to put you down.

Things had gotten so out of control. But he couldn't bring himself to care.

Not with the lingering warmth that still sung through his SOUL, entwining itself into the magic of his very bones.

The feeling was beginning to fade, but the memory of it was burned into him forever.

He wanted to experience that sensation again.

He wanted to experience you again.

You and _only you._

Any disappointment he could have felt was quickly chased away by a burning desire, replacing the warm heat with one that _itched,_ crawling inside his marrow and urging him to make good on every thought and fantasy of stealing you away back to his home right this second.

But rationality came hot at the heels of these fantasies, snuffing out the flames before they could reach a fever pitch. He couldn't do it now. He _could,_ but not now. He had to wait. Wait until it was safe to.

Tension began to bleed out from him. He no longer felt like a taut wire, ready to snap and do _any number of things_ to you right now. But even as he calmed down, as he started feeling more like himself again, that memory of intense yearning and desire remained.

_He was going to make sure you paid for awakening this desire in him. So, **so** dearly._

He slowly lowered you back to the bed, a grim smile on his face.

An attachment had formed, he knew this. One that he never would have thought he could make in a million years, but one that would make him chase you to the ends of the multiverse.

You would never know, you would never suspect, but...

Almost mournfully, he withdrew his tentacles, pulling the sheets back up over your body. He couldn't stop himself from leaning in, however, letting his teeth gently graze against your soft lips, wondering what it would be like to drag his fangs over them. Wondering when he would get a taste of you properly.

One thought echoed through his mind, making his SOUL throb in his chest.

_Mine._

_You are all **mine.**_

_Body and SOUL._

His smile grew wide.

_You just didn't know it yet._


End file.
